


Baked with Love

by clarkjoekent



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Baking, F/F, M/M, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25386262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clarkjoekent/pseuds/clarkjoekent
Summary: Shikamaru just wanted to have a normal day watching the clouds in his favorite spot and avoiding the build up of work on his desk. He definitely didn't want to deal with his budding feelings for Choji after helping him bake a cake for Ino.And yet, here he was, losing sleep over it.
Relationships: Akimichi Chouji/Nara Shikamaru, Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 61





	Baked with Love

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write some fluffy ShikaCho for a while.

Shikamaru enjoyed two things: smoking and watching the clouds. He chooses the best spot in the village, a tall uninhabited tower, and he rests on one of the tables. Usually he brings a blanket to roll up under his head but he forgot it at home. He was avoiding his duties and decided it was best to just lay low instead of going back to his apartment.

Unfortunately only one other person in this whole village could possibly know where he was at and he so happened to show up, blocking his view of the clouds with his head.

"Choji?"

"Shika, I need your help." Choji didn't look too concerned, his hair fell around Shikamaru like a curtain. His hair smelled like cinnamon. He pushed the thought back into the depths of his brain. 

"With what?" Shikamaru sat up, Choji moving his head to avoid an accident.

"Ino just got a promotion and I wanted to bake her something." Choji's smile was contagious. He had made Shikamaru a cupcake for his promotion to Jonin commander and they all took Choji out for dinner for his promotion to Jonin instructor. It was Ino's turn. Why Choji wanted his help was beyond him. He had no idea how to bake.

"You need my help, with what?"

"Our oven is broken and the new one won't get here until tomorrow. I don't want her to think I don't care."

"So you need my oven?"

"Exactly." Choji nodded, stepping aside waiting for Shikamaru to trudge ahead. "I already have the stuff, so we can just go to your place." He held up the shopping bags occupying his hands.

They kept a leisurely pace, both men holding a bag each of supplies. There was a ghastly amount of purple in them and Shikamaru was worried his kitchen was going to turn into Ino's favorite color.

They stopped at Shikamaru's apartment, the Nara rummaging through his pockets to find his house keys. He moved out shortly after the war, not wanting to live in the empty house his parents used to inhabit.

He unlocked the door and gestured for Choji to step in first. Placing the goods on the kitchen table, Choji inspected the small space he had to work with. At least the oven was brand new and by the looks of it, unused.

"Did you want me to help you make the cake?" Shikamaru stood awkwardly in the kitchen doorway.

"Sure. You can do the dry ingredients." Choji beamed, happy Shikamaru wanted to help make the cake and passed the dry goods over to Shikamaru with a large bowl and measuring cups.

Choji wrote down the measurements and instructed Shikamaru how to measure properly. Once he was satisfied he moved on to the wet goods.

"Espresso powder? I didn't know she liked coffee." Shikamaru smelled the canned ingredient and sighed. He loved coffee.

"It adds to the chocolate. A secret my dad taught me."

"And now I know." Shikamaru winked, teasing Choji.

"Don't tell anyone." Choji looked at Shikamaru with the utmost serious glare before laughing. He finished mixing the wet ingredients and then asked Shikamaru if he had a hand mixer. "Easier on the arms."

"I think Kurenai gave me one when I moved in. I've never used it. Why bother when I have you." Shikamaru took the mixer out from the box and passed it over to a red faced Choji. He thought about it for a second and then let it slip from his head. He had too much to think about.

"Even Kakashi-sensei uses his kitchen. Maybe I need to teach you how to cook." Choji put the whisks in the slots on the machine and then plugged it in.

"I do know how to cook. I just don't like to." Shikamaru grabbed the dry bowl and added some of the mix into the wet bowl. Choji rolled his eyes and turned the mixer onto the lowest setting. Once the batter was finished Choji put the batter into the cake pans and put them in the preheated oven.

They cleaned up and waited at the kitchen table.

"I'm glad they promoted her. She was always talking about wanting to take her Father's place." Head of the Torture and Interrogation division. Kakashi had ideas for her to be the head of the new Mental Health division but she wanted to do both. Not surprising. Her girlfriend was the Head of Konoha Hospital alongside Shizune. Despite them loving each other there was still a playful rivalry. Not unlike Gai-sensei and the Hokage.

"She deserves it. After dealing with the missing nin fiasco." Choji smiled. "Sakura is taking Ino out tonight to celebrate so I wanted to get this done before then."

"She'll love the cake." Shikamaru reassured his friend, placing his hand on top of Choji's resting one. Another deep blush. Before he could ask, the timer went off and Choji got up to check on the cake. Shikamaru pursed his lips, not trying to think too hard and took the purple frosting out of the bags.

"Three shades of purple. Still won't be enough." Shikamaru muttered. Choji caught it and laughed.

"They only had three. I figured each tier can have it's own color." Choji set the cakes aside to cool and got the frosting ready.

Once the cake cooled Choji handed Shikamaru a spatula and the medium purple frosting. They worked in silence, too busy focusing on the decorating to talk. Shikamaru was worse than Choji, getting frosting all over his hands.

Which he forgot about when he wiped his face.

"You got frosting on your face." Choji laughed. That sound was becoming Shikamaru's favorite sound. It was light and full of genuine happiness, a full bodied laugh. Shikamaru let the fact it was at his expense slip from his mind as he tried to locate the offending purple frosting without a mirror.

"Did I get it?" Shikamaru asked, only getting a choked back laugh as a response.

"You missed it entirely." Choji gently grabbed Shikamaru's face with one hand and used a towel from the earlier clean up to wipe the frosting off. Shikamaru felt something flutter in his chest, watching Choji wipe his face while holding his chin.

He didn't realize that he was staring at Choji until he stopped wiping his face and looked right into his eyes. "Are you okay?" There wasn't concern. It was something else. Humor maybe. Shikamaru nodded, feeling the fluttering again.

Something flashed in Choji's eyes before he turned and finished the second tier. Shikamaru used the time to escape to the bathroom, making sure the fluttering wasn't him having a heart attack.

"Shikamaru? The cake is done." Choji called out, pulling Shikamaru from his thoughts.

Shikamaru splashed water on his face and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm coming. He walked out of the bathroom and helped Choji put the cake in the box. They left the apartment and caught Ino just in time.

"Oh guys! I love it!" She squealed, taking the box from Choji's hands. "Come on, Sakura is still getting ready, let's have a piece." She winked and let the boys into her apartment.

She cut the cake into small pieces, leaving one for when Sakura comes out.

"God this is so good. Did Shikamaru help?" Ino avoided Shikamaru's glare.

"He helped out. He's a great sous-chef." Choji chuckled, patting Shikamaru on his back.

"I might have slipped some poison in there." Shikamaru muttered. The cake was good, the espresso was a great touch.

"Hello Choji, Shikamaru!" Sakura waltzed out into the kitchen, matching her suit to Ino's purple dress.

"Sakura, nice tie." Choji smiled. "Have some cake."

“Dessert before dinner?” Sakura laughed, taking the seat next to Choji. 

"It's a gift for my new promotion." Ino pushed the plate closer to Sakura. "While you are here Shikamaru, I need your help with something." Ino stood up and started walking to the back bedroom, a signal for him to follow. He left Choji and Sakura and followed.

"Everyone needs my help today. I should charge." Shikamaru stopped next to Ino who punched him in the arm.

"Shut up, if you came here earlier you could've helped earlier." Ino eyed him and placed a book in his hands. It had a plain black cover and fit in the palm of his hand. "Our dad's hid this in the main office but I can't figure out your father's code. It seems to be important just from reading Dad's stuff."

Shikamaru thumbed through, trying not to think about his father's neat handwriting. "Okay, I'll get them translated and pass them to you tomorrow."

"No rush, just by the end of the week would be nice." Ino watched Shikamaru, his face unreadable, concerned this triggered a memory. "Are you okay?"

"I thought I was having a heart attack earlier." He put the book in his pouch.

"A heart attack?" Ino immediately put her hand over his chest, letting her warm chakra explore his heart.

"Yeah it was beating really fast, I couldn't catch a breath."

"What were you doing when it happened?"

"Choji was wiping frosting off my face." Shikamaru said, not paying attention to Ino, too busy reliving that moment in his kitchen.

"He was what?" Ino stopped probing, mild amusement written on her face.

"I got frosting on my face and I kept missing it so he wiped it off." Shikamaru was far from amused.

"You dumbass." Ino busted out laughing, the sound carrying out into the kitchen.

"What?"

"Your body is trying to tell you something." Ino managed to squeeze out. She left the room, still laughing, leaving Shikamaru even more confused.

They left Ino's apartment and they went their separate ways. Sakura was taking Ino to her favorite restaurant. Choji and Shikamaru walked home together.

"What did Ino want?"

"My dad wrote some stuff in code to Inoichi and she wanted me to decode it."

Choji threw Shikamaru a concerned glance but didn't ask anything else. He knew that Shikamaru was hurting, just seeing his father’s handwriting made his heart hurt. The Nara appreciated the silence.

The pair stopped in front of the Akimichi household, Choji pausing before turning to Shikamaru.

"You know you can come to me for anything right? Any time, I'm here for you." Choji put his hand on Shikamaru's shoulder and squeezed.

"I know Cho. Thank you." Shikamaru smiled and returned the gesture. Choji smiled back and walked into his house leaving Shikamaru alone.

He meandered back to his apartment, glad they cleaned the kitchen, and made some cup noodles, which is all he eats. Naruto would be proud. He ate quickly, wanting to shower and go to bed as soon as humanly possible.

He couldn't stop thinking about what Ino said to him.

"My body is telling me something?" Shikamaru said to himself as he was lathering the shampoo in his hair. "What the hell is she talking about?" He rinsed off, dried off, and got dressed into his night clothes.

He slipped into bed and tried to sleep but his brain wasn't getting the hint. He turned over and bore holes into his ceiling.

He tried to remember each time his heart acted like it did that afternoon.

There was the time when Choji hugged him after the first successful mission. The time Choji laughed so hard water came out of his nose. The time when Ino wouldn't leave him alone and Choji told her to drop the subject. The icing incident, him laughing.

His heart started fluttering at the last memory. Choji's eyes lighting up, his cheeks red from smiling, and his deep laughter Shikamaru could feel just standing next to him.

"Oh no." Shikamaru sat up and put his hand on his heart. "Oh fuck."

He was in love. No wonder he thought he was having a heart attack. His body was reacting to Choji. Normally he would take this information and just shove it down like he usually does.

His father wasn't here to talk him through things and his mother couldn't try and help him confess. He was in love with his best friend and he spent so long trying to avoid things that now, when he has a chance to really figure his life out, it's hitting him harder than it should.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru threw himself back into his blankets and did the only thing he could do at 1 am. Strategize.

He wasn't too keen on just throwing his feelings out into the open. He wanted to make sure this was the best decision for him. Keeping his options open for the potential "I'll just never tell him" plan.

Thinking about this too hard distracted him from his actual work.

"Hey! Are you listening to me?" Sakura slammed her folder of paperwork onto his desk, scaring him half to death.

"Yeah I was. Something about herbal medications and needing the Nara clan." Shikamaru was listening, just not responding.

"Okay, what's got you all distracted?" She sat down in the seat across from his desk and refused to leave until Shikamaru talked to her. "Is this about Choji?"

"What? No." Shikamaru silently cursed Ino. He opened his desk drawer and took out his hidden pack of cigarettes and lit one. Sakura glared at him but didn't move to destroy the stick between his lips. Unusual for her.

"Ino tells me everything. It's not a surprise you know."

"I've spent the last 10 years working my ass off and avoiding getting killed. I don't know what she expects from me." Shikamaru rolled his eyes. He was always behind her when it came with emotions and coming to terms with things. Ino accepts things as a fact and moves on while he digs his heels in to denial until it's too late.

"Just talk to him. It'll clear your head." Sakura smiled softly, trying to reassure him.

"I'll get the Nara clan medical department to work with you. And I might talk to Choji if it gets you and Ino off my ass."

Sakura ripped the cigarette from his mouth and crushed it. "Do it for yourself, dumbass." She grabbed her files and left his office, laughing at him.

"Ino is rubbing off on you." Shikamaru grumbled. Despite everything Sakura was right. He had to tell Choji and it had to be soon, before he loses it.

The next morning he woke up and got dressed, following through the normal motions of the day. He wanted to rip this confession off like a band-aid. Hopefully if Choji felt differently he will just let him down softly and nothing will change their friendship.

He saw the way Choji blushed and he was 60% positive he felt the same. The chances of Choji shutting him down was 40%. Shikamaru stopped on the doorstep of Choji's family home, not realizing his feet just carried him to the place without his brain.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed and knocked on the door. He was told time and time again that he could just walk in but he still felt awkward just waltzing into someone's home, regardless of how close.

Choza answered and told him Choji was out back watering the plants.

"Hey, Choji." Shikamaru watched Choji water the last of the plants, waiting for the Akimichi's undivided attention. And trying to will the ground to swallow him whole. He could battle Akatsuki members, and survive a war without any problem. This was a battle he felt the odds of.

"What's up Shika?" Choji rolled the hose up and sat down on a bench, patting the spot next to him for Shikamaru to sit.

"I have to tell you something." Shikamaru sat down, keeping a good space between them and took a deep breath, begging for a cigarette. "I'm sorry if this is too much but I feel like if I don't tell you I will have a heart attack and I don't need the time off."

"Okay." Choji turned to face Shikamaru, giving him the attention he wanted.

"I think I'm in love with you." Shikamaru said it so fast even he couldn't decipher it.

"You love me?"

"Yeah." Shikamaru refused to look at Choji, he knew his face was red. He can practically hear his father laughing at him.

Then he heard it, Choji's laugh. This time it made Shikamaru's stomach turn, hoping he wasn't laughing at him.

"Shika?" Choji grabbed Shikamaru's face, like he did at his apartment and made the Nara look at him. "I love you too."

It took a few seconds for his brain to process what Choji was telling him. Another chuckle and Choji pulled him closer.

"You do?"

"Yeah, ever since you stood up for me at the Academy." Choji was blushing right alongside Shikamaru.

"That long? Why didn't you say anything?" Choji let Shikamaru go.

"Because the thought of losing you hurt me more than hiding my love."

Shikamaru frowned, he never thought about the possibility of truly losing Choji. Maybe they would have a few days apart but losing him wasn't in his infinite list of possibilities.

He also just realized he was in love and he didn't have to keep it quiet for years.

"Choji, you would never lose me. We are best friends, always will be. Now we have another level to our friendship."

Choji was quiet for a minute, he gave nothing away on his face leaving Shikamaru to just wait in agonizing silence.

"Want to go on a date?" Choji finally said, his eyes bright.

Shikamaru laughed and nodded. "Sure." He leaned over to kiss Choji on his cheek but the Akimichi had other plans. Their lips collided and Shikamaru saw stars.

It wasn't from the force of the kiss, in fact Choji was gentle and soft, it was the feelings all turning on their heads and they were finally being satisfied.

They left the house and walked to Choji's favorite restaurant for lunch. Nothing about their dynamic changed. The occasional look of pure love that shot between the two of them was the only thing different. Choji talked about his plans while Shikamaru listened, hanging on every word. Choji wanted to teach Shikamaru how to make homemade ramen after hearing he just survived on cup noodles.

"Worse than Naruto."

Telling Ino soon turned into everyone finding out, it saved Shikamaru the troublesome task of going around and explaining his relationship. Choji was happy about it and that's all that mattered to Shikamaru.

After another long sleepless night of staring at his ceiling thinking about work he glanced over at the sleeping form next to him. His head cleared up immediately and he closed his eyes, smiling.

Shikamaru enjoyed three things: smoking, watching the clouds, and being next to his boyfriend.


End file.
